According to a document showing Ministry of Information and Technology’s performance during the first 100 days, MoIT plans on creating an e-commerce platform to bring 1,000 local craft Micro-Small and Medium Enterprises online.
The project encompassing this whole setup is named as “The Artisan” project. It has been approved by Universal Service Fund (USF) Board in Public Private Partnership mode and will provide an online platform for craft MSMEs from fields such as leather, carpet, furniture, textile, jewelry, and pottery by taking 1,000 craft MSMEs onboard over the next few years.
The document also throws light over steps taking by the Ministry to improve digital skills in girls. Through the Information and Communications Technologies for Girls Project (ICTs for Girls), 70 trainers have been trained by Facebook and 35 trainers by United Nations to widen its impact over 1,10,000 girls throughout Pakistan.
Ministry of Information and Technology has also launched a Digiskills program to train and facilitate freelancers. 10,000 individuals have been trained through this program, with the projection of revenue generated through this program to exceed $40 million per year.
These initiatives, especially the e-commerce platform for craft MSMEs, will help provide an online presence to small businesses in Pakistan, helping them expand their outreach to a much wider audience.
